Aging & Neurodegeneration

Although human life expectancy has nearly doubled over the last century, this trend has been accompanied by an alarming increase in the prevalence of age-related neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. As our population continues to age, the number of individuals afflicted with these disorders steadily increases with devastating social and economic consequences to society. Thus, age-related neurodegenerative diseases are a major public health crisis of our time. A central objective of the Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience is to make ground-breaking discoveries that advance understanding of these disorders and stimulate development of new therapeutic approaches. Using a highly interdisciplinary approach that exploits strengths in neuroscience, engineering, and drug discovery on the Purdue campus, this efforts will achieve new insights into pathogenic mechanisms, biomarkers, neuroprotective strategies, and drug candidates relevant to age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Supported by a powerful array of resources designed to promote innovation and collaboration, Institute faculty and students are positioned to play a leading role in the fight against these devastating syndromes.